Patient: I would like to ask my mother if this condition can be operated? She has 1000 degrees of high myopia, most of her retina is atrophied, her eyes are not well and her cataracts are getting worse, and her vision is getting blurry. When should I have surgery? What will be the effect of the surgery?
Liu Xinquan, Ophthalmology Department, Shanghai Longhua Hospital: Your mother’s cataract is operable. According to your description, the cataract is getting worse and worse. If we only consider the condition of the fundus, the cataract will also lead to blindness if it develops. If the vision is indeed significantly worse now than before due to the cataract, it is better to have surgery.
Patient: How much of the effect of the surgery can bring back the eyesight? What is the approximate cost?
Liu Xinquan, Ophthalmology Department, Shanghai Longhua Hospital: The post-surgery effect is estimated based on the pre-surgery examination. The cost of surgery varies greatly depending on the brand of IOL. If a soft IOL is put in, the cost is about 6000 (including all hospitalization costs).
Patient: IOL? What does that mean? Do I have to put an IOL in my eye? Don’t you have to do cataract surgery? I don’t understand it very well, please explain in detail, thank you.
Liu Xinquan, Ophthalmology, Shanghai Longhua Hospital: From the meaning of the word IOL, as the name implies, a special lens made of synthetic material is called an IOL, and its synthesis includes silicone, polyformaldehyde acrylate methacrylate, hydrogel, etc. The shape and function of an IOL is similar to the lens of the human eye, and it has characteristics such as light weight, high optical performance, non-antigenic, inflammatory, carcinogenic and biodegradable. After cataract surgery removes the cloudy lens and implants an IOL, objects are focused on the retina, and you can see clearly around you. The lens in the human eye acts as a lens to focus light from outside the eye on the retina to see clearly. When it becomes cloudy and prevents light from outside the eye from reaching the retina, we call it a cataract. It has a refractive index in the eye, so an IOL with an index is implanted. About 6000 is the cost for one eye (if a rigid IOL is implanted, it can be more than 1000 cheaper) Patient: Do IOLs have to be implanted for cataract surgery? Is there any harm to the eye? What about later? Do I have to take it out?
Liu Xinquan, Ophthalmology Department, Shanghai Longhua Hospital: It is not “necessary” to implant an IOL after surgery, but the anatomical structure of the eye is relatively intact after implantation, and the shape and function of the IOL is similar to the lens of the human eye. So there is no need to remove it. The IOL is still safe in the eye for 40 years in the longest observed case.
Patient: How long does the surgery take and how long does the hospital stay take?
Liu Xinquan, Ophthalmology, Shanghai Longhua Hospital: The surgery does not take long, within 10 minutes under normal circumstances. Hospitalization is 3-5 days.